


Seeing the Sides

by Quinelynn



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Inspired by Sanders Sides, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-27
Updated: 2019-05-23
Packaged: 2020-02-08 11:28:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18622429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quinelynn/pseuds/Quinelynn
Summary: This is just a fanfiction where the character Thomas lives his life working at a video game store while going to college and trying to be in a musical. The sides help him, but other people think it's weird.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> (I'll try to post new chapters fairly regularly) *shrugs*

Thomas couldn't stop staring at the new guy who was stocking up the shelves with more games. One by one, George would print off the sale tag, stick it onto the used game and place it on the sale racks. His dark skin and dark hair were illuminated by the sunset beaming through the store windows. 

Thomas heard someone clear their throat in front of him. A boy stood there and pushed closer the game he placed on the counter closer to him. 

"Oh, sorry about that." 

"It's whatever," the boy answered. 

"You fucked up", said a grim voice in his mind. Thomas held his breath for a second as he waited for the urge to roll his eyes go away. As he handed the boy his change and waited for him to leave the store, Thomas glance in his peripherals to see a purple figure crossing him arms. 

Thomas rolled his eyes. 

"Closing time soon," George said, looking down at his watch. 

Thomas smiled slightly and nodded before beginning to shut down the register. 

Thomas and George headed to the back room to grab their stuff before leaving. Thomas waited as George got out his keys and jacket from one of the lockers on the other side of the room. "He's gorgeous!" said another voice. "You have to talk to him! Oh, I know! Ask him what kind of video games he likes!"

Thomas nodded. "So, uh, welcome, I guess. Do you like video games?" 

George turned to look. "Thanks, uh, yeah. I guess. Nintendo mostly— Mario, Legend of Zelda, Animal Crossing— that sort of stuff." 

Thomas nodded in approval. 

"Say something else!" Thomas heard from behind him.

"Well, see you." 

"Wait!" said the voice "Go after him!"

Thomas held out his hand as the purple figure clouded his vision. "No! He's already leaving. If he wanted to keep talking he wouldn't be leaving."

Thomas put his arm down as George head out the back door. He sat on the corner bench and sighed with his head in his hands. A red figure appeared in front of him. 

"Virgil!" the figure screamed. He wore a white and gold shirt with a bright red sash across his chest. 

A figure in a large purple hoody with dark circles around his eyes appeared next to him. "What?"

"Why did you do that?"

"What did you want me to do? Let Thomas make a fool of himself? Someone who is walking away from a conversation doesn't want to talk."

"You don't know that! For all you know, that could have been the start to a new friendship! Or maybe something more..." Roman stared out into space and clasped his hands together as Virgil crossed his arms.

"Hey, Roman. Hey, Virgil," said Thomas. Both figures turned and looked him.

"Oh, sorry Thomas," Roman said. "Don't worry though! We will be seeing him a lot from now on. We have lots more chances to get his attention if you know what I mean." Roman wiggled his eyebrows and Thomas laughed in response. 

"Objectively, though, how did it go?"

"Uhh..." 

"I can help with that." Another figure appeared, this one was dressed in mostly black, but had on a blue tie and glass. His hair was neater than the other two, with his bangs pulled back neatly to flatten the rest of his hair. "You did fine. Yes, he did not seem to want to keep up the conversation, but you do not know the other things on his mind. Maybe he was just late for something. He knows he is going to see you again. Besides, you have those moments when you feel to drained to talk to people. Perhaps he was just drained like that as well."

"Thanks, Logan." 

"Alrighty then!" a fourth figure appeared. Also wearing glasses, but with a brightly color blue shirt. "Now let's stop worrying about then and move on, kiddo. It's the end of day, no work tomorrow, and there's a pizza in the freezer at home!" 

Thomas smiled. As he stood, the figures disappeared.

"Don't forget to turn off the lights and lock the door", he heard Virgil say. He could hear Patton there as well, though. 

 

Joan had work off that night too, and decided to come over. Thomas didn't mind. He and Joan had an understanding. They sat on the couch eating pizza and watching The Office.

"There's a new guy at work." 

"Okay... and?" Joan looked at him. "You wouldn't be mentioning it unless you had something more about it, so just tell me." 

Thomas smiled and shook his head. "Well, he is kind of cute."

"Of course, he is!" Joan said, laughing. 

Thomas squeezed the edge of couch and blushed.

"Hey, don't be embarrassed. You should go for it. I mean, you never know. How much have you talked to him?"

"Only a little bit. I asked him today if he like video games. He said he liked Nintendo and then left. I'm not sure what that means." 

Joan laughed. "Hey, it was the end of the day. He was probably just tired. Or had to get somewhere. I mean, you just met the guy."

"Yeah, that's what Loga—" Thomas stopped. 

"What?" asked Joan. 

Thomas stared at the floor. "Never mind." 

"No, Thomas, have you been seeing them again?" 

"Come on, Joan, it's not like that. I told you. They're always there. And they're helpful. Most of the time."

"I know, Thomas. But, I'm worried about you. First it was just one, but now it's, what, four of them?" 

Thomas sighed. "A started hearing a fifth one a little while ago. He's yellow. And not very nice."

"Oh, Thomas." Joan wrapped their arms around him. "Thomas, when was the last time you went to see someone about it?"

"I don't know, a couple months? I mean, it's been fine. The last doctor kept trying to convince me to go to group therapy or find out about medications, but, I don't know. I'm scared that the good ones will go away, and I'll be left with the bad ones. Or that after they're gone, I won't know how to control my thoughts. I mean, my thoughts have argued and debating like this since I was little, and I feel like Roman, Logan, Virgil, and Patton all are a part of me that I can't give up."

"Are they here now?" 

"No, I told you. I can hear them sometimes. But I only ever see them when nobody's around." 

"What are they telling you now." 

"Nothing. They've been quiet since work." 

"I still think you should go back to therapy. Maybe see someone else." 

Thomas shrugged a stared at the tv screen. Joan followed his lead and they spent the rest of their Friday night silently. 

 

"Thomas, I highly advise that you do not eat chocolate for breakfast," Logan was sitting on the kitchen counter, adjusting his glasses. 

"Oh, come on, at least it's something." Patton stood next to him. Whenever Patton was around, he seemed to stand the closest to Thomas. Like he was protecting him. Thomas looked down at the chocolate bar in his hand and then looked up at the clock. He had actually woken up at decent time today, nine o'clock, and he was hoping to get his chemistry homework done before he had to go back to work tomorrow. 

"Sitting down to a good breakfast will give Thomas the energy and focus that he needs to get the homework done." 

Patton thought for a moment. "Chocolate covered strawberries!" He can make it, and it can be part of breakfast." He nodded. 

"Oh, how romantic!" Roman appeared next to Patton. "And if we have some left over, maybe we can bring to Cutie-Pants McGee tomorrow, yeah?"

"Oh, that'd be so cute!"

"Do you have time to make that and do chemistry homework, Thomas?" Virgil popped out of the air and sat next to Logan on the counter. 

"Oh, you know it'll be okay, Virgil," said Patton. "Thomas always gets his homework done on time. Right, Thomas?"

Thomas stared at the floor and put the chocolate bar on the counter. He couldn't stop thinking about what Joan had said to him last night. 

"Oh, you shouldn't worry about what Joan said, Thomas."

"Patton's right," said Roman. We may be your mind, but we're just here to help, right Logan? Virgil?"

"I mean, yeah," said Virgil. "We don't actually annoy you that much. Do we Thomas?" 

"I concur," said Logan. "We are simply manifestations of your decision-making processes. We have established this before." 

Thomas finally spoke up. "I know, it's just ever since Deceit showed up, I've been thinking. That the more I learn about and talk to you guys, the more "dark sides" that seem to show up. I mean, what if they start coming into the decision- making process too and end up making me do something wrong?"

The four main sides glanced around at each other. 

"Thomas," started Patton, "We told you before, you're the boss. Anything you don't want to know, you don't have to. And, despite these parts of yourself you may not like, we are here to help you."

"But," said Logan, "If you feel it is necessary to listen to Joan and go start seeing a therapist again, we will not stop you." 

Virgil rolled his eyes but said nothing, and Roman just gave a soft smile. 

Thomas nodded before getting a glass bowl out of the cupboard the strawberries out of the fridge. 

"Yes!" said Roman and Patton together, high-fiving. 

 

Thomas pulled the tupperware container out of his backpack. When he had packed it this morning, Roman cheered him on the whole time, but, now that he was here, all he could hear was Virgil. "Just put it away. This was a dumb idea. It's too much too soon. You'll freak him out." 

"Shut up! It'll be fine," he heard Roman silence him. 

Thomas turned to George and held out the box. "Do you want a strawberry? I made too many yesterday."

George looked down into the container of chocolate covered strawberries and smiled. "Sure! Thanks!" He reached in grabbed one. Silvia, the manager, came into the back room. "Oh! Can I have one?"

Thomas hesitated before smiling and handing the box over to her. She took one and gave it back to Thomas, who put it back in his backpack.

"What did you make them for?" asked George. 

"AH!" 

Thomas jumped. 

"Virgil! Stop!" replied Roman. "Thomas!" he continued. "Say something! But play it cool."

Thomas shrugged. "Just wanted to, I guess."

"That's chill," George said, nodding. He walked out the back to the store front.

"Real smooth." 

"Shut up, Virgil."

Thomas shook his before following behind.


	2. Chapter 2

"So, you said in your questionnaire form that you hear and see things that aren't there?"

Thomas refused to look up, but nodded. "Uh, yeah."

"How long has this been going on?"

"It started out with one, when I was sixteen."

"One what? Figure? Voice?"

"Yes and yes." Thomas said. "I'll always hear them before I see them." 

"What do these voices and figures look and sound like?"

"They're like me. Only different. They are like the different parts of my personality."

"Explain more, Thomas."

He felt like crawling into the corner and dying. "Well, first, there was Patton. He showed up in high school. I had learned that my friend's girlfriend was cheating on him and I wasn't sure what to do. I started hearing another voice telling me that it was going to be okay, and soon I started to see him. And he guided me through it." 

The doctor that Thomas couldn't remember the name of wrote something in his notebook. 

"Okay, tell me about the others. When did they show up?"

"Umm. I guess Virgil started showing up around the time I started doing the musicals. I started to get really nervous before going on stage and I realized it was his voice telling me not to do this or not to do that. Eventually I started seeing him whenever I was backstage, but Patton would appear and they would talk together too. About me. And what was best for me."

The doctor tapped his pen on the spine of the notebook.

"Uhh, I guess Roman started to show up around that same time to. But I heard him more often when I was actually on stage though. It was like I could start to see Roman push Virgil away as I walked on stage."

Thomas waited for a minute to think. "Logan I heard for a long time before I finally saw him. I can't remember when I actually started hearing him, but it was during classes. He helped me to remember things at first, but eventually I actually saw him during one of the arguments and he helped to straightened out the facts of the argument. I guess I sort of consider as my logic."

"So if Logan is your logic, what are the others?"

"Well, it's a little more complicated." Thomas though for a moment. "I guess Patton is like my morality. Roman is my, I don't know, my passions, my desires. And Virgil..." 

Thomas finally said screw it and laid back on the couch. He was silent for a couple of minutes.

"It sounds like Virgil may be an accumulation of your fear. Stage fright maybe? Anxiety?" 

"Yeah... Anxiety is what the others called him for a long time."

"He went by Anxiety. When did he become Virgil?"

"Only when he told us. Told them." Thomas shook his head. "All of them started out without names. Logan and Virgil were just 'Logic' and 'Anxiety', but for a while I called Patton 'The Dad' and Roman 'The Prince.' But eventually I found out that they had names. Some were skeptical to reveal what they were, but eventually I learned them all."

The doctor nodded and wrote some more stuff down on his notebook. 

"So, why the names then?"

Thomas opened his eyes and sat up. "What do you mean?"

"Why did you stop calling them by their roles and give them names?"

"I just told you. I didn't name them. They told me their names." 

"Well, why wouldn't they just tell you their names to begin with?"

"I don't know. I guess, because they wanted me to get used to seeing them first. I'm not crazy, okay?"

"I never said that you were."

Thomas furrowed his eyebrow and crossed his arms. "But your implying it. I've been to doctors before and I know what they think about me, okay? I'm not creating imaginary friends to help me through my problems because of my..." he stuttered and flailed his arms. "Inept abilities to communicate with people. I think I'm communicating for myself right now and I'm doing just fine." 

Thomas stood up, annoyed that the doctor was keeping a straight face throughout all of it. "I never should have come here. I knew it was a bad idea," he said while heading for the door. 

"You know, storming off angrily is not the best way to convince someone that you aren't crazy."

"Shut up, Logic."

 

Work was annoying the next day. George wasn't even there, and Thomas spent the whole time just trying to ignore the voices in his head and waiting to get home. 

"Hey, whaddya say you and me take a walk over to the tavern and have a look at hunting trophies." Thomas spoke excitedly.

"You know what," Joan said, "you're a huge dick, Gaston." 

Thomas laughed, "Shut up!"

Joan broke and laughed too.

They and Thomas were looking back over the sheet music for a musical audition at the end of the week. A local theater was putting on Beauty and the Beast. He was practicing Gaston's lines, not necessarily because that was a part he wanted, but it was a part he thought he had the best chance of getting, with his deep and dramatic singing voice. Thomas was just glad for a distraction. Or anything to help his confidence.

"Shut. Up!" Thomas said as he continued to laugh.

"What's going on in here?" Talyn walked through the front door. 

"Thomas is being mean to Belle."

"Well, isn't that kind of the point?" Talyn said, sitting on the couch next to Joan.

"Talyn, make Joan be serious," said Thomas.

"I'm sorry, but I'm hungry," Joan said as they fell back onto the couch onto Talyn.

"Fine. I'll get you food, but I want to learn this by tonight."

"Yeah, yeah."

There wasn't much food in Thomas's apartment, so they snacked on potato chips and Oreos. 

"By the way," Joan said. "How did things go with that new therapist?"

Thomas shrugged. 

"What does that mean?" said Talyn. 

"I mean, he was okay."

"Okay how? What did he do?" 

"I mean, it was okay, but then he started asking stupid questions."

"Thomas," Joan said accusingly.

"It was like he wasn't even listening to me."

"Thomas."

"And so, I just kind of got mad, I mean you would be mad too if your doctor wasn't listening to you."

"Thomas!" 

Thomas looked at Joan with sad eyes. "So, yeah, I sort of just left."

"Why do you always do this?" Joan reached over to pat Thomas on the head. "You always think therapy is a good idea, but then you go and suddenly decide it was a bad idea."

"Can you please just help me with this?" Thomas said while throwing the script into their face. 

Joan sighed and looked at the pages. They and Talyn and Thomas read the script for a long while before Tayln got bored  
.  
"I wanna go to bed."

Thomas looked over at the clock. 10 p.m. "Yeah alright. Thanks for helping guys. You can spend the night if you want." 

"Nah, that's okay. I've got class in the morning," said Talyn. 

"It's not that I don't love being with you, Thomas," said Joan with a smile. 

"No, it's okay. I get it. Have a good night you guys." 

"Hey," said Joan. "Whatever you want to do is your choice, but I just don't want you to feel like you're going through something alone. I don't know how to help you, but I think maybe someone does."

Thomas turned to look at the wall. "Bye Talyn. Bye Joan." He sat and waited to hear the door click shut. 

"Well, that couldn't have gone any worse." Virgil stood over Thomas, who laid tired on the couch. 

"Oh, it's okay Virgil." Patton floated up and put his arm on the purple figure's shoulder. "Thomas loves his friends. And his friends love Thomas. Joan is just looking out for him. Wants the best for him. That counts for something." 

Roman followed behind. "Well, I for one am just glad that we got this scene memorized. We are so, totally, going to ace that audition!" Roman and Patton high-fived

Thomas smiled as he got to head for the stairs. 

You should go back. Try again said Virgil in his head. 

Thomas rolled his eyes before slowly nodding his head.


	3. Chapter 3

"I'm glad you came back Thomas." 

Thomas sat cross-legged on the couch, his shoulders slumped and his gaze was at the ceiling.

It was Friday, and not even a week had passed since the first appointment, but when Thomas had called back to try and keep going, Dr. Picani insisted that they meet this morning to make up for Monday. Thomas wasn't too excited about that, since the audition was tonight. But, her figured, at least he something else to focus on and he wasn't pacing around worried about it. 

"Any reason why you changed your mind?"

"My friends kept telling me too."

"Do you think they're wrong?"

"I think they don't understand, but," Thomas said, "I also think that if I was my friend, I want me to go to therapy too." 

"And why is that?"

"Because obviously this is not normal."

"Well, what is and is not normal can be subjective."

"Well, this is bordering on schizophrenia, and most people with that can end up, you know, getting themselves hurt or whatever."

"But, you're not going to get yourself hurt?"

"I think it would hurt me more if I stopped talking to the sides."

"And why is that?" 

Thomas sighed. "Okay, just hear me out."

"I am all ears, Thomas."

"A schizophrenic person has trouble knowing what's real and what isn't. I don't have that issue. The sides, for the most part; they are just me. They are me, a part of me. They are just... There. To help me figure out decisions. And I'm so used to them now that... I'm scared if I lose them somehow, I'll just become nobody. I won't be able to think for myself and make decisions."

Dr. Picani nodded. He no longer had the notepad on him. "I just want you to know, Thomas, that I don't think you're crazy."

"Yeah, but you have to say that." 

The doctor laughed. "Maybe, but it's true. You're here. You realize the reasons why your friends asked you to be here, and you are listening. That's proves enough for me that you're here and all I want for you is to be safe and happy." 

Thomas was skeptical, but relaxed the smallest bit. 

"Yeah well, I don't necessarily think I'm unhappy."

Dr. Picani looked at him as though expecting Thomas to continue, but he didn't. "Well, what are some things that make you happy?"

"My friends. I can tell that they care for me no matter what. And singing."

"You're a singer?"

"Yeah. I like to do musicals. And I'm auditioning for one tonight."

"Really? And how do you feel about it?"

"Nervous, but also excited. Being on stage always brings out the creative, passionate side of me." 

Thomas blushed as he realized he was thinking about Roman. He didn't want the doctor to realize how much he thought about the sides as parts of himself.

Dr. Picani just nodded. "It does sound like you're doing pretty well for yourself. Is there any other reason why you decided to come back?"

Thomas looked down and held his hands together. "Well, I told you last time that there were four sides." 

The doctor nodded again and leaned back in chair. 

"Well, I uh, didn't tell you everything. Roman, Patton, Logan and Virgil have been with me for so long, but just a couple weeks ago, I started hearing another one."

"Just hearing?"

"Well, I sort of saw him too. But I don't know him fully. Not yet. Right now, I know that he is Deceit. A part of me that wants to lie. He's yellow and sort of—" Thomas paused to think of the right word. "Snake-like?" 

"Does he scare you, then?"

"Yeah. The other sides have told me to just try and ignore him, but it's hard."

"What were you doing when you started noticing him?"

"I was trying to decide what to tell my friend, after I missed their show," Thomas said, looking at his hands in his lap. "I had just forgotten about it, and I was going to tell them that there was an emergency or something."

"So, Deceit showed up because you were going to lie to your friend?"

"But, I ended up not doing it. I decided to tell him the truth after the other sides convinced me. Or, well, sort of. It was a little more complicated I guess."

Dr. Picani shook his head. "It makes sense. Thoughts and feeling are complicated." Picani leaned over and looked at Thomas. "I'm just worried that the sides are a result of you trying to simplify something that isn't simple. What do you plan on doing if their keep being more and more until you can't distinguish what's real or who you, as yourself?" 

Thomas squeezed his hands together until they hurt. "Well, that's why I'm here. Isn't it?"

Picani looked at him and smiled. "Yes, I suppose so." 

 

Thomas walked through the doors of the community theatre feeling okay. The morning was intense, but it was not nearly the train wreck that he was worried it would be. 

He handed the paperwork to the lady at the front desk and headed into the auditorium. There were more people there than he expected, but he just kept smiling and tried to keep a positive attitude. 

Roman was excited too: "You got this, Thomas!" he said. 

After a little while, Thomas found a group of people to sit down and talk to. Some people there he recognized from other performances and shows. They chatted for a couple of minutes before three people came onto the stage an announced that they were going to start with the readings. They called people up one by one and began to put people into groups. 

"Thomas!" said a voice. It was one of the directors that he knew from previous shows. 

"Oh, hey," Thomas said.

"I had you down to read with two new people, I hope that's okay."

"Ooo, new people," said Virgil. 

"Yeah, of course," said Thomas. 

"Okay," the director gave a thumbs up. "Then follow me up here. You can meet Brittany. 

He followed with his script and met Brittany the looked over the lines for a while and talked. 

"Okay!" yelled the stage director. They started calling names up by groups and Thomas started to get nervous since he wasn't sure if there was supposed to be another person in his group. 

He saw as a group exited off the stage the director pointed at something on the stage director's list. 

She looked up in their direction. "Thomas, Brittany," she said. "Go ahead and come up, I'll get someone else to read the extra lines."

"Wait, wait! Sorry I'm late." Thomas turned to look at who the voice was and he froze. 

It was George.


	4. Chapter 4

"Thomas!"

Thomas looked at George and he could hear Roman and Virgil fighting in the back of his mind. 

"I didn't think I'd see you here. What a small world."

"Uhh, yeah. I mean. I didn't think I'd see you here either."

"Yeah, well I guess I did just move here and I don't know the area or the people as well as everyone else." 

Thomas smiled to try and hide the argument going on inside his head. 

"How are you going to do this now!" said Virgil. "Now you have to impress George on top of everyone else!"

"Now we get the opportunity to!" said Roman. "This is the chance Thomas has been waiting for, and we get to know him better outside of work. This is great!"

"But what if the audition goes wrong! What if Thomas makes a fool of himself!"

"That's not likely, said Logan. "Listen, Thomas, you have done many auditions, and this one is no different. Yes, George is here, but he is auditioning the same as you. Most likely, he himself is more worried about his own audition than yours, so it is pointlessly unproductive to be stressing yourself out like this."

"Logan is right," said Patton. "George is nice, and this is a good time to get to know him better. We believe in you Thomas. It will all work out." 

Thomas nodded as the three were called up on stage with their scripts. It became clear to Thomas and George that they were mostly being used as surrounding characters to hear Brittany as Belle. Thomas and George took turns reading one or two lines as the Beast, her father, Lumière and Cogsworth, and various townspeople. As the scenes continued, Thomas nerves subsided as Roman began to take over, and as George seemed to as well, the way they said their lines on behaved on stage got crazier and more ridiculous. To the point where they, and Brittany sometimes as well, were having trouble containing their laughter. 

Eventually they were called off stage, with the director shaking her head, but smiling too. 

The only thing left after that was the singing part of the audition. By then, Thomas was more excited than nervous. He wanted to hear George's singing voice. Especially since he didn't know George sang before today. 

But they called Thomas up before him. His nerves almost got the better of him.

"Remember," said Logan. "Everyone here is auditioning the same as you are."

"You got this, Thomas!" said Roman. 

Thomas didn't have to do much, since the people at the theater knew him and his voice well enough. He did a few opening bars from "Be Our Guest" before they let him leave the stage. Soon after they called George, who was preparing to sing the same beginning bars of the same song. 

Thomas watched intently. George was good. Very good. And had a kind of presence on the stage that Thomas couldn't help but notice. 

 

"So!" said Joan. "How did it go?"

Thomas looked up from his computer at the library. It was Saturday. Time to catch up on homework. "Good. I'll know what part I'll on Tuesday." 

Thomas smiled and kept looking at Joan and Talyn as they sat down at the table. 

Talyn narrowed their eyes. "What is it?"

Thomas blushed "George was there."

"What?"

"Shut up!" 

"Apparently, he transferred here after doing his gen eds at some community college to major in theater, and when he heard that the theater was doing Beauty and the Beast, he decided on a last whim to do it. One of the directors is an old family friend, I guess." 

"Wow, that's so cool!" 

"You have to invite him to hang out sometime," said Joan. "You know, join the squad." 

Thomas laughed. "Yeah, but how soon is too soon to ask someone to hang out like that?" 

Joan and Talyn looked at each and shrugged. 

"You shouldn't overthink it, Thomas," said Joan. "Just ask him. The worst that can happen is that he says no, right?"

Thomas thought that sometimes Joan was so much like Logan. He nodded and looked back down at his laptop.

"Okay, Thomas, you have work tomorrow, so you have to get this homework done today." 

Yes, Logan. Thomas tried to get focuses on math again, but in the back of his mind he couldn't stop thinking of him and George laughing on stage, and being able to hang out with him outside of work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short update. Hopefully I'll be able to post a longer one by Thursday, but unfortunately after that, I probably won't be able to post until July, because I'll be studying abroad in Costa Rica. Thanks everyone so much for reading and for the Kudos!


	5. Chapter 5

George was at work with Thomas on Monday. 

 

"I didn't get to tell you this on Friday, but you did so good at that audition," Thomas said. It was the end of George's shift, but Thomas had to stay until closing. 

George smiled. "Thanks. Yeah, same to you. I was so excited to see you there. It was nice to see a familiar face." 

Thomas laughed. "Well you didn't seem to need it." He shook his head. "We acted like a couple of idiots up there."

George laughed too and shrugged "I guess we'll see what happens tomorrow when the list comes out."

"Yep."

"Well, time to go, see you."

Thomas waved. He waited until the door closed to let out a loud sigh. 

"Did you hear that!" said Roman. He appeared and sat down on the counter next to the register. "He said he was excited to see you! He was totally flirting."

Virgil popped up. "I don't know about that. You're the one that spoke first, maybe he was just saying it to be nice."

"Oh, well if he was saying it to be nice, that's a win in my book!" Patton jumped up with a huge grin on his face. 

"Thomas," came Logan, sternly, "While, I do appreciate that you are getting closer to someone that makes you happy, I must insist that we end this conversation so that we can focus on work." 

Thomas looked down. The store was quiet most days, so he usually brought some homework or study materials to look over to keep himself busy. 

"Yeah, I guess—" 

He was cut off by the sound of the front door opening. Thomas blinked and suddenly the sides vanished. 

The boy who walked in looked at Thomas for a second with a strange look. "Were you talking to someone?"

"Nope, sorry. Just to myself. Can I help you with anything?"

 

Thomas had spent most of his noon class sneakily checking his email on his phone for the cast list to be sent. He rolled his eyes after checking for about the tenth time and finally decided to just run by the theater on his way home after his last class. It would definitely be up on the bulletin by then. 

Soon, his afternoon class rolled around and finished up around 3p.m and it was time to head back. Thomas suddenly started to feel nervous about checking the casting. He could hear Virgil saying something about being nervous for both him and for George. But about what, Thomas wasn't sure. 

When he arrived at the theater, he could see from the parking lot that a new list was pinned up on the bulletin by the front door, covering the weathering "drummer wanted" and "Choir auditions today" signs. He walked up to the list and searched. 

He stopped. Thomas had gotten the part of Lefou. George got Gaston. 

Thomas nodded. He could hear the sides trying to talk to him as he walked back to his car and drove home. 

As he walked through the front door of his apartment, the first side to show up was Virgil. 

"This is so embarrassing. Of course this would happen to us. He probably already thinks we look like a desperate idiot. This is just this icing on the cake."

Thomas dropped himself onto the couch and groaned. 

"Hey! Why the long face?" Patton said. "Thomas, I thought you agreed that we wouldn't care about the part and were just going to focus on having fun." 

"Yeah, that was before George showed up," said Roman. 

Logan popped up, arms crossed and upset. "No, Roman, I do not think the circumstances have necessarily changed all that much." 

Roman suddenly looked defensive. " I'm just saying. Look at how hard Thomas worked for this part. But then George showed up at the audition and he threw everything out the window." 

Virgil was scowling. 

"Not to mention that he just got here, while Thomas had been with the theater for the last two shows now. It makes no sense. Thomas is clearly more suited to the part. We should say something." 

"Get out of here," said Virgil, almost like a hiss.

"Excuse me?"

Virgil rolled his eyes and just stared.

"Alright fine."

Suddenly Roman was gone. In his place stood the yellow figure. His yellow eye on the snake- half of his face winked at Thomas and the other sides. 

"Well, I guess you caught me. But what can I say? I'm just trying to look out for you Thomas." 

"No," said Virgil. "You're just trying to make him feel like a bad person."

"Oh, come on Thomas. Remember when we talked about trying to get that stuff you wanted. I don't see why trying to argue this is such a bad idea. I mean, you truly believe that you deserve the part right? Why else would I be here?" 

"Please." said Thomas. "Go away." 

"Thomas is right," the real Roman said as he popped up. "You should go away. This is nothing to worry about. This part is great for being able to get closer to George, anyway." Thomas started to sit up. 

"And it leaves for more wiggle room. More improv, more fun," said Patton, as he nudged Roman."

"Yes!" said Roman in agreement.

"Ugh, please. Whatever," said Deceit. "You want the part and you know it. Admit it Thomas. Your just jealous of the new guy. He's cool. He just like you but now he's like you and better. You keep having this idea of wanting to be with him, but you don't even know anything about him, do you? You don't even know if he likes men."

"Would you just go away!" Thomas yelled.

There was a knock on the door. 

The sides vanished as Thomas felt pulled suddenly back into reality. He walked slowly over to the front door it opened it. Joan.

"I... uhh..."Thomas said. He looked down at his feet.

Joan just shook his head and put his arms around him. "I know. It's okay." 

"That fifth one," said Thomas. "He's just so mean. And kind of scary. It's weird to think of him as a part of me." 

Joan looked up at Thomas. "Have you told Dr. Picani about him yet?" 

Thomas looked away.

"I'll take that as a no." Joan walked in and set himself toward the kitchen. "How about I make us food and we just relax a bit before studying, huh?" 

Thomas smiled and nodded. "Yeah, okay."


End file.
